Okay, so we got this a little earlier than I had planned, but here’s the scoop. Beginning MARCH 15, the official CICM College Media Online Journalism Contest 2.0 will be open for business.

The fee for entry will $30 per college media outlet – that includes TV, Radio, Online-only, or Newspaper (am I forgetting anyone?) There is no membership requirement. It’s open to all college media outlets.

Two entries per category per outlet (with one freebie thrown in because we’re nice. 🙂 ). If you want to enter more, you will pay an additional fee. Deadline for entries is May 15. That means you have two months to get your stuff together! Entries must have been published in conjunction with a college media outlet (read no class projects unless they’ve been published by the campus college media!).

Also, note that there are two additional categories this year: multimedia journalist of the year and webmaster of the year. Rock on! I’ll have a list of judges coming soon as well. Winners will be announced at the beginning of the fall semester.

Details of each category are again presented below the fold:

Multimedia Journalist of the Year:Recognizes continuing excellence by a single college media staff member. Contestants must submit the URLs of three projects which they designed/wrote/edited in any of the other contest categories. Focus will be on use of new/multimedia to report journalistically. Additionally, a letter of recommendation from an adviser or editor-in-chief will be required.

Web Editor of the Year: Recognizes continued excellence in developing the web presence of a college media outlet. Contestants must submit the URL of the web site, along with an explanation of steps they took to ensure quality in design and multimedia use on the web site. Special projects such as databases, Flash packages and the like will be considered. Also, a letter of recommendation from an adviser or editor-in-chief.

Multimedia

1. Best audio slideshow – Recognizes excellence in combining photographic images with audio to create an enhanced story. Judges will look for strong visual imagery and strong audio storytelling that integrate well together. Audio must include elements of the story (i.e., not a musical soundtrack to a slideshow).

Submission must include URL for slideshow entry to be judged.

2. Best breaking news video – Recognizes excellence in using short-form video on the web as a storytelling medium video that focuses on a breaking news event, produced by an individual or team.

Submission must include URL for video entry to be judged.

3. Best video package – Recognizes excellence in using longer-form video on the web as a storytelling medium video, produced by an individual or team.

Submission must include URL for video entry to be judged.

4. Best overall multimedia – Recognizes excellence in use of audio, video, hyperlinks and animation in the presentation of web-based stories. Judges will pay special attention to the use of available technology to complement and enhance the story content.

Submission must include URL for site to be judged.

Data

5. Best use of data – Recognizes excellence in efforts to present data for easy, flexible and meaningful digestion by readers through integration of data sources and display efforts.

Submission must include URL for entry to be judged.

6. Best use of mapping – Recognizes an exceptional effort to present information through geographically-tagged information via mapping software.

Submission must include URL for entry and list of components included in package to be judged.

8. Best interactive graphic – Recognizes excellence in the creation of an interactive graphic that displays a complex set of data, allowing users rich levels of interactivity.

Submission must include URL for interactive graphic entry to be judged.

9. Best overall design – Recognizes excellence in overall web site design for a member site.

Submission must include URL for site to be judged.

Innovation

10. Best online workflow – Recognizes innovative and effective efforts to establish a workflow for bringing news content to the web through multiple media. Entrants will be required to describe their internal news workflow and specific ways it handles web-based content.

Submission must include a written description of workflow system and may include URL for PDFs, user interface, or other samples in support of entry to be judged.

12. Best use of social networking sites – Recognizes innovative uses for social networking activities by student media, whether through internal efforts or through third-party applications (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, etc.).

Submission must include a written description of the efforts made by the organization to use social media and what effects/results those efforts have had and may include URL for PDFs, user interface, or other samples in support of entry to be judged.

13. Best community engagement – Recognizes outstanding efforts to use Internet-based means to establish closer ties with and actively participate in the college community.

Submission must include a description of how the organization seeks to achieve a greater presence in the community, along with an explanation of how those efforts have been effective and may include URL for PDFs, user interface, or other samples in support of entry to be judged.

14. Best overall innovation – Recognizes an exceptional innovative idea created by a member organization.

Submission must include an explanation of the innnovative idea(s) and how it was implemented, and may include URL for PDFs, user interface, or other samples in support of entry to be judged.

Best of show

15. Best breaking news package – Recognizes the best overall use of multimedia and web-based storytelling elements to cover a breaking news event.

Submission must include URL to package entry, an explanation as to how the organization cross-promoted print/broadcast and online efforts, and may include links to PDFs of accompanying print editions.